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Japanese Plus: Business Japanese & Japanese Etiquette
04/12/2013

How to exchange business cards correctly, the elegant way to serve tea and even the correct order for sitting in a car according to hierarchy were among the vast range of dos and don’ts in Japanese etiquette outlined in November’s Japanese Plus course for advanced Japanese learners, which ended on November 25th.

The course, which was attended by 48 participants in total and ran for 4 weeks, was led by Hiroko Tanaka, Japanese Language Advisor at the Japan Foundation London. In the first week, the participants looked at the typical hierarchical structure of a Japanese company and revised keigo (polite Japanese language). The theme of business Japanese language and etiquette continued in Week 2, in which Tanaka-sensei demonstrated the correct attire for a Japanese business, the right way to introduce one’s self in a business situation, and how to handle guests coming to one’s company. Week 3 looked at sending business emails in Japanese, using the correct expressions. Finally, in Week 4, Tanaka-sensei taught dining etiquette and explained how to avoid some of the pitfalls that can occur when selecting appropriate presents for certain occasions.

All participants responded very positively to the course. Emma Gallagher, a Japanese Plus regular, commented, “It was a useful refresher of language & cultural etiquette I knew once many years ago, as well as an introduction to new vocab/aspects of Japanese culture I was less familiar with.”